Quest. How, then, was Christ forsaken ?
Ans. 1. In regard of his present comfort and joy. He could not else have been a sacrifice ; for as we cannot sufier by way of conformity to Christ, unless there be some desertion, that we may know the bitterness of sin, no more could Christ have sufiered for our iniquities had there not been a suspension of light and comfort from his gracious soul.
2. He was not only privatively deprived of all joy and happiness, but positively he felt the ivrath and fury of the Ahniyhty, whose just displeasure seized upon his soul for sin, as our surety. All outward comforts hkewise forsook him. The sun withdrew his light fi'om above, and everything below was irksome to him. He suffered in aU the good things he had, body, soul, good name, in his eyes, ears, hands, &c. He was reproached, and forsaken of all comforts about him. He had not the common comfort of a man in misery, pity; none took compassion upon him; he was the very object of scorn.
Quest. But in what part was Christ forsaken ?
Ans. In all, both in body and soul too, as may plainly appear.
(1.) First, because he was our surety, and we had stained om* souls, and bodies too, offending God in both (but in soul especially, because that is the contriver of all sin, the body being but the instrument). Some sins we call spiritual sins, as pride, malice, infidelity, and the Kke; these touch not the body, yet are the greatest sins of all other.
[i.) Secondly, if he had not suffered in his soul the sense of God's dis- pleasure why should he thus cry out, whenas the poor thieves that suffered by him made no such exclamation? If he had suffered in body only, the sufferings of Paul and Moses had been more, for they wished to be sepa- rated from the joys of heaven out of a desire to promote God's glory on earth. Therefore it was, he saith in the garden, ' My soul is hea\7 unto death,' Mat. xxvi. 38.
Obj. Some will grant that Christ suffered in soul, but, say they, it was by way of sympathy, for there are sufferings of soul immediately from God, and suflerings by way of sympathy and agreement with the body, whenas the soul hath a fellow-feeling of the torments thereof; and so Christ suf- fered in soul indeed.
Ans. That is not all, beloved, but there were immediate sufferings, even of his soul also, which he groaned under. God the Father laid a heavy stroke upon that. He was smitten of the Lord, Isa. liii. 4 ; and when God deals immediately with the soul himself, and fills it with his wrath,, no
856 cheist's suffekings for man's sin.
creature in the world is able to undergo the same. None can inflict punishment upon the soul but God only. Satan may urge and press argu- ments of discouragement, and aftright us with God's displeasure; but the inflicting of anger upon the soul issues immediately from the hand of the Almighty. We must here, therefore, consider God as a righteous Judge, sitting in heaven in his judgment-seat, taking the punishment of the sins of all his people upon Christ. There was a meeting together of all the sins of the faithful, from Adam to the last man that shall be in the world, as it were, in one point upon him, and the punishment of all these was laid on his blessed shoulders, who sufi'ered for them in both body and soul.
3. Conclusion. But how could Christ be forsaken of God, especially so forsaken as to suffer the anger of his father, being an innocent person ?
A71S. 1. I answer, first, the Paschal lamb was an innocent creature, yet if the Paschal lamb be once made a sacrifice, it must be killed. Though Christ were never so unblameable, yet, if he will stoop to the office of a Bui-ety, he must pay our debt, and do that which we should have done. If a prince's son become a surety, though his father love him and pity him never so much, yet he will say. Now you have taken this upon you, you must discharge it.
2. Secondly, as in natural things the head is punished for the fault of the body, so Christ, by communicating his blessed nature with ours, made up one mystical body, and suffered for us.
Quest. But upon what ground should Christ become our surety?
xins. 1. Because he was able to discharge our debt to the uttermost. He was more eminent than all mankind, having two natures in one, the manhood knit to the Godhead.
2. Christ most -willingly gave himself a sacrifice for us.
3. He was designed and predestinated to this office, yea, he was anointed, set out, and sealed for this business by God himself; and is not this suffi- cient ground why he should become our surety ? especially if we consider,
4. That Christ took the communion of our nature upon him for this very end, that he might be a full surety, that his righteousness being derived to us, and om* guilt to him, God's wi-ath might be satisfied in the self-same nature that ofl'ended. You see in societies and cities, if some people offend, the whole city is oftentimes punished. Though perhaps many are guiltless in it, yet by reason of the communion, all are punished. So likewise a traitor's son, that never had any hand in his father's siu, but behaved himself as an honest subject should do, yet, having communion with the person of his father, being indeed a piece of him, is thereupon justly disinherited by aU law.